Yes, piles.
First we have my in-progress pile. These are all books that I'm currently reading. I tend to read a lot of books at once. That way, if I get tired of one book, I can put it down and pick up in the middle of another book. I'm a migratory reader.
The Life of the Forest, by Jack McCormick - I'm reading this non-fiction book as research for my next novel, Greenheart, which will mostly take place in a temperate rainforest. I want it to feel real, and this book is very helpful and interesting.
Digital Art Revolution, by Scott Ligon - I picked this book up because I love creating digital art with Photoshop, and I'd love to do more with it. It's got tons of weird artwork in it, but it teaches some great techniques and tricks with Photoshop.
Getting Into Character, by Brandilyn Collins - This book on creating three-dimensional characters requires a lot of thought, because each new thing presented is so unique and revolutionary. It's taking me a long time to read it, because I'm trying to fully understand each concept before I move on. I think it will definitely help my writing down the road.
Writing Fiction for Dummies, by Randy Ingermanson - The ingenious "Snowflake Guy" wrote this awesome book for writers of all ages and experience levels. Everything is laid out, clear and concise. Even though I've read almost a dozen books on writing, this one offers some questions and exercises that have made me think about my writing from a different angle. I recommend it!
The Restorer, by Sharon Hinck - I'm re-reading this one because I like it so much. An ordinary mom gets sucked into a fantasy world on the brink of war, and she's expected to become some warrior hero? What's not to like? (Besides, I think Kieran is one of the best characters of all time.)
Emma, by Jane Austen - I've seen several different movie versions of this classic story, but this is the first time I've actually read it. It took me awhile to get into it, because I just didn't like the heroine, Emma. But then I realized that you just can't take her too seriously, and I began to really enjoy it. It's a lighthearted, comedic romance story.
Airborn, by Kenneth Oppel - I bought this book used at my library for about 10 cents. I knew nothing about it. It's amazing! It's an alternate version of history set at the height of airship travel, with sky pirates, mysterious flying mammals, and lots of swashbuckling adventures in the clouds. I love it so far! (I'm really starting to like the "Steampunk" genre)
Start Here: Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are, by Alex and Brett Harris - This is a sequel to the awesome book Do Hard Things. It's full of encouragement, ideas, and practical advice for teens who wish to break free of the low expectations placed on young people today. Teens have raised money to build wells in Africa, sailed solo around the world, made award-winning movies... what will you do? And more importantly, why are you doing it?
As soon as I finish reading all of those books, I'll move on to my to-read pile:
100 Cupboards, by N. D. Wilson
The Unicorn Chronicles book 4: The Last Hunt, by Bruce Coville
Brightly Woven, by Alexandra Bracken
Stravaganza: City of Masks, by Mary Hoffman
Over Sea, Under Stone, by Susan Cooper
Heartless, by Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Adobe Photoshop CS3 Classroom in a Book
By Darkness Hid, by Jill Williamson (not pictured)
And that's just a fraction of the books I'd like to read. *sigh* So many books, so little time. What have you been reading? Have you read any of these books?
Also, I seem to have forgotten to announce the arrival of my free paperback copy of my novel, Bluewillow, from CreateSpace. Here's a picture:
I made the cover, and I'm really happy with how it turned out. My sister agreed to pose as my main character (I turned her hair blue in Photoshop). Sorry that my flash sorta washed things out. It looks better in person.
Now my family is reading it together in the evenings. *gasp* So many people listening to my writing at once! Aaaaahh! Panic attack!! *ahem*
That's all for now, folks!
8 comments:
That is so awesome!! Congrats on your book, Evergreena!! =D
That pile looks extremely familiar. . . . I've got one about that tall, only with different books in it, sitting on my bedside table at this very moment. :)
Congratulations on getting your book published!!!! :D That is REALLY cool!!!! Is it out for the public to read? Or are you keeping it private and just for family and friends??
~ElizabethMarieKauffman~
@ Eldarwen - Thank you!
@Elizabeth - Well, right now it isn't public. I haven't "approved" my proof copy yet, and I'm not sure if I will. Already I've found some embarrassing mistakes in it. :) I'll have to edit it some more, and then I'm probably going to submit it to publishers for REAL publishing (hopefully!)
Wow - that's quite a hefty amount of books to be reading at once! I like to do the same thing, but usually it's only three or four at a time. :D
Congrats on your book! I must say, the cover and the back look really professional. And yeah... it's always harder to have your family read your book for some reason!
Blessings,
~Melody
I know how that goes!! It seems that every time I read through my book I find mistakes that are right there under my nose, and I can't believe that I missed them all of the times before! :)
~ElizabethMarieKauffman~
The only reason I DON'T have a current stash that tall is because I'm on vacation.
I love your cover, and I have read ummm... Well I started 100 Cupboards, have read most of Stravaganza: City of Masks... Thats it. Your book Bluewillow is beautiful! My friend wrote a book on CreateSpace, and it turned out beautiful.
Last year when I went sailing I had a stack of books 25 tall, and I read 17 in two weeks.
!!!!!!!!
You guys don't know what you're missing out on. It's a GREAT book! So lucky to be in the family :D
Post a Comment